11 Top St John Snorkeling Spots: 2023 Snorkeler’s Guide

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To help differentiate between all of the St John snorkeling spots, I have created a rating system to help you decide which ones to try out. 

Please see the key below.

The symbol used to represent the overall snorkeling experience: 🤿 

OVERALL SNORKEL RATING KEY

🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿   =   World-class snorkeling and worth traveling just for the snorkeling alone!

🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿   =   Incredible snorkeling and should be on your list of top things to do!

🤿 🤿 🤿   =   Decent snorkeling and worth the effort!

🤿 🤿   =   Worth consideration if you are running out of things to do!

🤿   =   Not worth it!

Here is a map of all 11 snorkeling sites we discovered during our 1-week exploration of St John USVI. Read on to find all the details of each snorkeling spot we visited.

If you are still in the planning phase and want to know what are the best places to stay near some of these top snorkeling spots, do not miss my article below!

If you are coming from Coral Bay on Centerline Road, take a left on Route 107 and follow it down PAST Concordia. When we first visited, we accidentally drove into the Concordia Resort.

Once you pass Concordia, the road will turn sharply right and the dirt parking lot will be on the left.

The parking lot fills up quickly!

We went twice to Salt Pond Bay: once around 9:30 am (only 1 other car there) and once around 12 pm (the parking lot was full and we had to wait for a spot to open up).

After you park, walk down a dirt uneven path for about 7 minutes until you reach a beautiful crescent-shaped beach with gorgeous clear water.

Wear proper footwear. I wore my Cressi dive booties and then just slipped on my Cressi travel fins at the beach.

Also, there is no shade along the dirt path and the beach. You are exposed to the full sun. Bring a hat, wear a sun shirt and sunscreen, and bring plenty of water.

Don’t forget your waterproof snorkeling bag to keep your valuables safe.

Love my Ugo!  

The best snorkeling is on the right side along the rocks as you face the water. The water is usually calm.

There is also great snorkeling along the first set of jagged rocks out in the middle. If you decide to make the long swim out there, be SUPER CAREFUL because there is boat traffic. There is also more current, so you need to be a strong swimmer.

Entry into the water is easy.  The water is shallow and has a sandy bottom.

One of the highlights was seeing a shoal (family) of squid along the rocks on the right side. There is also plenty of colorful coral.

We also saw a moon jellyfish, but it was easy to navigate around.

Although we did not see any turtles and stingrays, they are often spotted due to the presence of seagrass beds.  

Put in Annaberg Sugar Plantation in GoogleMaps. The trailhead to Waterlemon Cay is at the coastline right near the parking lot. 

The entry point to snorkel over to Waterlemon Cay requires an easy 20-minute hike on the Leinster Bay Trail through some trees and then along the rocky coastline.

I would highly advise wearing tennis shoes or water shoes since you are navigating over rocks and a dirt path.  

You have 2 options:

1. You can swim from the sandy beach out to the Cay, which is quite a long swim. There are boats that dock in the bay, so it can be dangerous if you try to navigate around them. If you attempt this swim, you will snorkel over seagrass beds where you may see some turtles, rays, and starfish.

2. The other option is to keep walking past the sandy beach to the far edge of the beach where the coastline becomes rocky again. This is the closest entry point to get to Waterlemon Cay, which is the route we chose.

Do not overestimate your swimming ability. The currents can be strong. I always wear a snorkel vest in case I get tired. It is advised to swim counter-clockwise around the Cay, but we swam clockwise without a problem. It all depends on the winds and current.

There are a lot of sea urchins!

Please be careful as you navigate into the water. I like to wear dive booties with my snorkeling fins to offer a little more protection.

We saw a lot of beautiful coral and sea fans, shoal of squid, two nurse sharks, and many beautiful tropical fish.

The western part of Waterlemon Cay is where we saw the two nurse sharks relaxing at the bottom of the reef. Be aware the far side of the Cay can have strong currents.

Maho Bay Beach is quite easy to access. It is located right off North Shore Road.

You can park in the large lot located directly across from the eastern side of the beach. Alternatively, there is limited parking right along the road itself.

Parking spots fill up quickly, so get there early!

Snorkel in the middle of the bay (but more towards the right) to see turtles and rays hanging out in the seagrass.

There are patches of reef on both the right and left sides of the bay, but the right side (as you face the water) is supposed to be better.

The beach has a sandy bottom and an easy shallow entry.

We saw a few turtles in the middle of the bay where the seagrass beds are located.

There were also patches of coral and beautiful tropical fish as we snorkeled on the right side of the bay. My husband who has an amazing eagle eye even spotted a yellowline arrow crab.

This top-notch snorkeling spot is easy to access. It is located on the eastern end of the island along East End Road right past a sign that states you are leaving the Virgin Islands National Park.

Park on your left at the bottom of the hill. There are not many spots. I would advise starting this adventure early in the morning.

We went around 9 am and had no problem.

On your left, you will notice a path through the woods that will lead you to Haulover Bay North. A quick 5-minute walk and you are there!

The best snorkeling is on the western side of the bay (left side of the bay as you face the water).

Be aware this area is subject to strong currents and winds, so use your judgment before proceeding into the water.

Entry can be a little tricky due to the cobblestone beach, sargassum (seaweed), and sea urchins.

I would strongly consider wearing dive booties with your snorkeling fins. Find the part where the sandy bottom meets the shore to allow for easier entry.

We saw many schools of fish, numerous soft and hard coral outcroppings, a stingray, and gorgeous gigantic waving purple sea fans.  

This is yet another very accessible St John USVI beach. It is located off of East End Road just past Haulover Bay on the right. There’s plenty of parking.

Thalia, the owner of the land in front of the beach, very kindly upkeeps the beach through donations. She also provides chairs, portable bathrooms, kayaks, and paddleboards.  

We snorkeled to the left (as you face the water) across the small bay to the larger patch reef.

Access is easy with a shallow sandy entry.

We saw several turtles in the seagrass beds. When we snorkeled to the left of Hansen Bay, there were plenty of tropical fish, coral outcroppings, and some larger Jacks.

Trunk Bay Beach has a large parking lot right off North Shore Road, however, get there early because spaces fill up quickly!

We arrived around 10 am, and there were only a handful of parking spaces left. Once you arrive, proceed to the entrance and pay the nominal $5 fee per person.

A short walk later, and you will be witness to one of the most beautiful island beaches in the world!

There is an underwater snorkeling trail along the Cay, which requires a short swim out from the beach.

There are more fish and coral on the calmer western side of the Cay (which is the left side as you face the water).

Access is easy due to the shallow entry and sandy bottom.

There are some beautiful tropical fish and coral outcroppings; however, I would not consider this a top snorkeling spot.

Go for the beach and not the snorkeling. Also, expect much more snorkeling fins in your face because of the increased crowds.

I cannot emphasize enough about getting here early to avoid the peak crowds.

If you are planning a day at Trunk Bay, don’t miss my article below!

Cinnamon Bay Beach is one of several gorgeous beaches located right off North Shore Road.

Parking was plentiful, and we had no problem finding a space. After you park, walk a few minutes along a path right to the beach.

Cinnamon Cay is located about 100 yards off the shore. We enjoyed excellent snorkeling around this cay.

Be aware the water can get rough along the far side of the Cay due to exposure to the wind.

There is also supposed to be excellent snorkeling on the eastern (right) side of the beach as you face the water, but we did not have time to snorkel there.

In addition, if you are up for a short hike to Little Cinnamon Beach, you can snorkel to a small plane wreckage, but I heard it is not too impressive.

With soft sand and a shallow entry, entry is easy and straight forward.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by the quality of snorkeling here. I was not expecting much, but there was quite a bit of beautiful coral and Caribbean fish.

The highlight was seeing a lemon shark. As soon as we spotted him, he did not stick around for long and quickly swam away as we approached.

This beach was part of our hike to Ram Head. Park in the Salt Pond Bay Beach parking lot.

After you hike the dirt path to Salt Pond Bay Beach, walk all the way to the far left of Salt Pond Bay Beach and follow the trail along the shoreline.

The trail eventually cuts inland over a few hills before it dumps you onto Blue Cobblestone Beach.

We snorkeled along the rocks on the right side of the beach as you face the water.

Although we did not do it, you could technically swim all the way over back to Salt Pond Bay Beach.

That is a long swim though, and the current can be strong.

Entry is not easy. There are a lot of rocks to navigate over and sea urchins to avoid.

We saw patches of coral here and there with sporadic Caribbean fish sightings.

Take Route 107 and go PAST Salt Pond Bay Beach. Eventually, you reach a sign that states “no outlet.” This is the end of the paved road.

Continue driving on the bumpy, gravely, potholed road to reach the two Lameshur Bays. We were glad we decided to rent a Jeep! I would not attempt this road after a lot of rain.

Drive PAST the Greater Lameshur Bay to reach Little Lameshur Bay Beach. There was plenty of parking when we went.

Because it is off-the-beaten-path, this beach does not appear to get much use. You can see the beach right from the parking lot. No hike required.

As you face the water, snorkel to the left out to Yawzi Point.

The farther you get out to the point, the more challenging it will become.

Do not overestimate your swimming ability. I was thankful I wore my snorkel vest for this snorkeling adventure because it was choppy right at the point.

Access is easy due to the sandy bottom and shallow, calm entry. There is a little bit of a pebbly transition right at the shoreline.

There are patches of seagrass when you enter, so you may see some turtles and rays although we did not see any when we went.

The snorkeling is great along the reef on the left side (as you face the water). There are many deep water crevices and canyons to explore.

There were plenty of beautiful tropical fish including some adorable balloonfish (aka pufferfish or porcupine fish) with their wide-spread big eyes and half-smiling mouths.

I have never seen one “puff out” but these cute little fish can take in water to make their bodies (and long spines) puff out if they feel threatened.

Download an offline St. John USVI map on Google Maps ahead of time.

Getting to Grootpan Bay Beach is an adventure and can be confusing if you do not know where you are going ahead of time.

Drive past the parking lot for Salt Pond Bay Beach and take your second left. You will come to several splits in the poorly maintained road.

Using the offline map, you should be able to continue to navigate your way over to Grootpan.

Make sure you do NOT end up in Kiddel Bay. If you try to park there, you will be trespassing across private property to get to the beach.

The best snorkeling is on the left side of Grootpan Bay as you face the water.

Snorkel around the point to Kiddel Bay but only if you are a confident swimmer. The waves can be rough. I always wear a snorkel vest.

Access to the water is not easy but not hard. You will have to walk over the pebbly beach and avoid the sporadic sea urchins as you launch off into the water.

The marine life is incredible. We saw large schools of fish, beautiful hard and soft coral, and numerous colorful waving sea fans.

Take the North Shore Road towards Annaberg Sugar Plantation. At the end of the road at the split, take a left.

If you take a right, you will reach the Annaberg Sugar Mill Ruins and the entrance to the trailhead for Waterlemon Cay.

There is a large parking lot, but it fills up quickly.

There are also some patches of reef on both sides of the bay, but the right side of the beach (as you face the water) is supposed to be slightly better and better suited for advanced snorkelers.

Entry is easy with calm waters and a sandy bottom.

Turtles, turtles, and more turtles!

We saw so many turtles I lost count. I could spend hours swimming with these adorable guys. We also saw a few stingrays.

We snorkeled on the right side of the bay as you face the water out towards Mary’s Point and saw beautiful coral outcroppings, schools of tropical fish, and even a lionfish.  

Do you prefer to have a St. John expert take you directly to some of the top snorkeling spots (PLUS include lunch at a floating taco bar)?

Then do not miss this highly-rated tour run by Stormy Pirates Boat Charters!

When I first started to snorkel almost a decade ago, I would rent basic gear from a local shop. My mask would fog, and I would get a bunch of water in my snorkel.

This created an incredibly frustrating experience.

Once I was properly fitted with the correct snorkeling gear that actually fit my face and feet, a whole new underwater world opened up to me. I can now spend hours in the water following tropical fish and swimming alongside turtles.

I cannot stress this enough … invest in good snorkeling gear!

Check out my personal snorkeling gear picks below.

→     Find the right mask for the shape of your face

→     Use reef-safe sunscreen like my favorite called Colorscience Sunforgettable Total Protection Sport Stick.

→     Do not step on the coral.

→     Do not feed the fish.

→     Always snorkel with someone.

→     Know your surroundings (currents, wind, where your buddy is, etc.).

→     Do not overestimate your swimming ability. I would highly advise a snorkel vest if you are not a strong swimmer like me.

→     Respect other snorkelers’ personal space. The worst is when a snorkeler’s fins hit you in the face because of their lack of awareness of what is around them.

→     Bring diluted baby shampoo to help keep your mask clear.

→     Pick sunny calm days to snorkel to really see the coral and fish.

→     Bring a few gallons of water for the ride, which works great for rinsing all the sand off after you snorkel.  

The snorkeling in St John USVI surprised me. It was better than I was expecting.

What I loved about snorkeling in St John was that all of our snorkeling spots could be accessed from the beach. No need to hire a boat or join a tour!

Overall, I would rate St John USVI as a whole as 4/5 snorkels.

By the way, if you are still in the planning process for your U.S. Virgin Island trip, read my travel guide on all the top things to do in St. John.

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Questions about the St John snorkeling sites we visited?

Let me know in the comments below!